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Episode 1903 (3 February 2000)
Synopsis Matthew walks into the club, explaining to a shocked Steve that the keys were under the bar as usual. Steve asks him what he wants and nervously says he's expecting someone. Matthew laughs and asks "Did you think that was his secretary that called? You should get yourself a new detective - I've been here weeks." Steve tells Matthew to get out, and Matthew tells him "Don't be like that." Steve repeats it and Matthew says more threateningly, "I mean it, don't be like that." Steve tells Matthew he's not scared, and Matthew replies confidently "Not yet, but it's early." Steve asks what Matthew wants, and Matthew says "money". Steve says he'll call the police and goes to the office. Matthew tells him "You can't do that." Steve picks up the phone, saying "Watch me" then looks a bit surprised. Matthew grins, "No, you REALLY can't do that, I've cut the line." Matthew puts a video in and it shows him throwing the red paint all over Steve's flat. The video shows Matthew showing some "booby trapped light bulbs". He says he could have filled Steve's flat with these light bulbs, which Jackie will set off as soon as she gets back from the Vic. Steve says if Jackie comes to any harm, he will kill Matthew. Steve asks how much money. Matthew says £10,000. Steve says he hasn't got that much. Matthew replies he has, because Beppe hasn't banked the takings for 2 weeks. They have a slanging match about whether Matthew should have gone to prison or not, and Steve says he had the deal, he could have taken it, etc. Steve says "It's the easiest thing in the world to blame someone else." and Matthew was pretty selective. Stealing credit cards, burying the body, isn't innocence. Steve says he and Teresa were Bonnie and Clyde, weren't they? Steve starts taking money out of the safe and says Matthew thinks he's clever?.. then turns around with the gun pointed, and says "You're not very good at this are you?" Matthew replies "Better than you think", and takes his hand out of his pocket full of bullets. They tussle on the floor and Matthew smashes a bottle over Steve's head and he's semi-conscious. Matthew gets a roll of packing tape out, and tapes Steve into a chair. Steve asks about his mother, and asks what she'd think if she could see him now. Matthew tells Steve to leave her out of it (rather annoyed). Teresa appears in the Vic to see Rosa. Jackie immediately goes up to Teresa and says it's been eventful while she's been away - someone has been stalking Steve, and in fact it started just after she and Matthew "left". She continues that it really spooked Steve, but in fact he got himself protection - he has a gun. Teresa suddenly looks shocked and worried, and thus reveals their involvement. Meanwhile back at E20, Matthew tells Steve that although he has money, he has to understand what he did and that his (Matthew's) life has changed forever because of that night. Steve keeps him talking while he uses a bit of the smashed beer bottle to try to cut the tape. Matthew tells Steve revenge isn't heroic, it's about power. Matthew goes to get the petrol can and splashes the contents all around the chair and the room. Steve plays for time, saying that he had nightmares too and does Matthew think that he's the only one who's hurt? Steve switches to a gibbering idiot, says he's sorry, tearfully, and grovels saying he's sorry for everything he did to Matthew. Matthew gets close and Steve takes his chance, breaks the tape and says "You're dead!" He grabs the gun and says they're going back to his place to undo whatever Matthew did at his flat. Matthew reveals a bloodstained blouse "It's Claudia's and I told her everything." Matthew says he discovered, in prison, that the men who had power had achieved it by raising the stakes fast. Matthew says he's done to Claudia what Steve did to Saskia. Has he mislaid anything recently? His watch? His mobile? Steve disbelieves him despite the bag of women's things that Matthew hands him. He says Claudia is in the US, and Matthew asks if his incompetent detective told him that? He shows Steve a photo that Claudia kept on the coffee table - saying he shot her with Steve's gun, Steve's fingerprints. Steve collapses into a snivelling heap. Matthew says "Raise the stakes - I have called the police: an anonymous tip-off, they'll go to Claudia's first but then will come here - maybe in time." Steve starts to beg and cry saying he couldn't go to prison, because of Doug. He says he can give Matthew anything. Matthew fingers the lighter and Steve snivels. Matthew says he doesn't believe in repentance - only absolutes: we live, we die, then we're dust. Steve says if he torches this place, he won't get away with it. Matthew says Steve hasn't been listening, he has nothing left, he doesn't want to get away with it. Steve cries and says he doesn't want to die. Matthew says all we have at the end is our dignity, all that's left is all you are, a pathetic little runt begging for your life. Jackie and Teresa run in and tell Matthew to put the lighter down. Matthew says he doesn't care any more and lights it and drops the lighter. They all panic and nothing happens. Matthew laughs and says it's all water off a duck's back. Teresa asks curiously what her shoe is doing here. He smirks and tells Steve it's Teresa's shoe, a blouse from a charity shop, a petrol can full of water, and talk, all just talk. Claudia, the light bulbs, none of it was true, but it didn't need to be - I took the power back all by myself. He gets his tape out of the video. Matthew says he's leaving, and thanks Teresa for sticking by him. She's shocked, and Matthew says he hopes Teresa will be happy - she deserves it. Teresa says she loves him, and isn't that enough? Matthew replies "I wish" and leaves, taking the security video of Steve tied up and begging for mercy. Credits Main cast *Joe Absolom as Matthew *Martin Kemp as Steve *Race Davies as Jackie *Leila Birch as Teresa *Louise Jameson as Rosa *Marc Bannerman as Gianni *Michael Greco as Beppe *Tamzin Outhwaite as Melanie *Lucy Benjamin as Lisa *Craig Fairbrass as Dan *Shaun Williamson as Barry *Lucy Speed as Natalie *Troy Titus-Adams as Nina *Dean Gaffney as Robbie *Sid Owen as Ricky *Steve McFadden as Phil Category:Episode Category:2000 Episodes Category:Two-hander episodes